CHAPTER 20: CHAPTER 020: WANDA — “LORIEN IS A GOOD MAN!” INTERNET BUZZ!

After parting ways with Natasha, Wanda walked up to Lorien with a faintly playful smile and an exaggerated sigh of regret.

"Lorien, looks like we won’t be seeing the Ferris wheel tonight..."

One look at the warmth in her eyes, and Lorien could feel the anticipation and fire behind them. If a man couldn’t understand what she was really saying, then he simply didn’t understand women at all.

He only gave a casual shrug.

"It’s fine. I told you—there’s plenty of time ahead. If not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then next week. As long as you come find me."

Yes—you have to come find me. Lorien wasn’t the type to chase after Wanda. No matter how nicely he phrased it, there was still a certain order to things.

But Wanda didn’t care about that. What she heard was the part she wanted: she could take the initiative to find him.

Her eyes sparkled as she batted her lashes, giving him a playful wink or two.

"It’s a deal, then! I’d better go find Natasha and report back on my mission. See you another day!"

After the quick farewell, Wanda turned and headed toward Natasha, who was already watching her approach. Lorien, in turn, watched her go, met Natasha’s gaze, and gave her a brief nod before turning away.

Back at his Ferrari, he opened the driver’s door and pressed the ignition.

Vrrrm—

The engine roared to life, and Lorien pulled away from the scene.

...

From the sidewalk, Wanda and Natasha stood side by side, watching the Ferrari disappear down the street.

"This gentleman seems decent," Natasha said, her tone casual but probing. "I heard that when the crisis hit, he stayed by your side, supporting and encouraging you."

"Mm."

With Lorien gone, the smile slowly faded from Wanda’s face. She didn’t even notice the change herself, nor did she fully grasp what she was feeling.

All she gave was a simple, nonchalant hum before answering in a cooler tone.

"He’s a good man—Sigma."

Sigma?

Natasha kept her expression neutral, but in her mind, the word puzzled her. Even as a trained agent, she had no idea what it meant. Was it some kind of compliment for men?

Later, after she and Wanda returned to the Avengers Compound, Natasha ran a quick search on her device.

Sigma

: a new American internet term meaning independent, self-disciplined, capable, and respectful toward everyone. Originally used to describe "lone wolves" or introverted men, it had gradually evolved into a word denoting excellence.

Interesting.

Natasha’s thoughts wandered.

Just how much charm did this psychologist, Lorien Su, really have... to win over Wanda so easily?

Maybe she should meet him herself.

See exactly what was going on.

...

At the same time—

It was 10:30 p.m.

Back at the scene of the mutant rat incident, Gwen Stacy hadn’t gone far after swinging away. Instead, she stayed perched on the edge of a nearby high-rise, quietly watching to see what her father would do.

From her vantage point, she saw George Stacy step out of a police car alongside a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. They spoke to bystanders, taking statements. Not long after, Wanda and Lorien emerged from a side street. The group exchanged a few words before Lorien left first, with Wanda and Natasha departing afterward.

Once George finished his investigation, he ordered officers to deal with the situation and station guards at every open manhole. Only then did he drive back home.

Seeing her father’s car pull away, Gwen let out a small chuckle.

"Pfft~"

She fired a strand of webbing and swung toward home, slipping through her bedroom window well before he arrived. Quickly, she changed out of her suit, hid it away, and slid under her blankets.

A short while later—

Knock knock~~

"Hm?" she answered with a drowsy murmur.

"It’s nothing, Gwen," her father’s voice came from the hallway. "Just reminding you not to forget tomorrow’s band performance."

And with that, George walked away.

The moment his footsteps faded, Gwen sat up and went straight to her computer. She began pulling up every headline she could find about the mutant rat incident.

[Scarlet Witch Saves Dozens! Uses Powerful Magic to Crush the Entire Rat Swarm!]

[Who Is She? Spider-Lady? A New Superhero? We Need to Know You, Spider-Woman!]

[Scarlet Witch Suspected of Being in Love! Seen Hugging a Handsome Man After Battle! No, Scarlet Witch, You Can’t Be in Love!]

[Friends! Scarlet Witch Is a War Hero! That’s Why She Accidentally Hurt Civilians Before! We Should Be Forgiving—She Can Eliminate Enemies, Not Just Cause Property Damage Like Some Other Heroes!]

[Wake Up, Everyone! This Has to Be a Staged Act by the Scarlet Witch! It’s Fake! Don’t Fall for It!]

"Woo~~~" Gwen let out a surprised gasp as she scrolled.

She hadn’t expected it—one mutant rat incident, and Scarlet Witch’s online reputation had suddenly flipped, recovering by half.

Was this Lorien’s doing?

Gwen thought about it. Definitely.

But then...

"Spider-Lady? Spider-Woman?" She tilted her chin, considered it for a moment, and shook her head.

"None of those sound right. You should call me... Ghost-Spider."